UPDATE: Lockdown lifted at Corbin Middle School

UPDATE:  As of 11:10 a.m. Corbin Independent Schools officials said the lockdown at Corbin Middle School had been lifted.

Hannah Goins, public relations coordinator at the school system, said the lockdown was instituted following and unsubstantiated rumor among the students.

Superintendent Dave Cox said the lockdown was instituted after school officials learned that several students had heard rumors that an unidentified student planned to bring a weapon to school Thursday.

Cox said the rumor had circulated during an out-of-school event unaffiliated with the either the school or the school system.

“We couldn’t trace it back to a particular student,” Cox said.

School administrators and staff searched all lockers, bags and backpacks, along with all areas of the building, but found no weapons.

“Corbin Administrative staff along with two school resource officers fully investigated the incident and re-opened the school after approximately one hour,” Goins stated. “There was no evidence of any safety threat found.”

Corbin Middle School was placed on lockdown Thursday morning.

Hannah Goins, public relations coordinator at Corbin Independent Schools said the building on Kentucky Ave. was placed on “soft lockdown” at approximately 10 a.m.

“Classes are continuing, but students are staying in the same classrooms,” Nobody is moving outside of the classrooms,” Goins said when asked to describe a soft lockdown.”

Goins said the lockdown was instituted after rumors of an impending incident surfaced.

While Goins had no information on the nature of the rumors, she said they are, so far, unsubstantiated.

Goins said Corbin Police school safety resource officers are on site.

Corbin Police Captain Coy Wilson said there is one officer assigned to the middle school on a full-time basis.

In addition, Goins said all exterior doors, including those at the main entrance, have been locked.

Though the building is one of the oldest in the school system, the interior has been renovated and security doors require visitors to check in at the office to gain access to the classroom areas.

“There is no imminent danger,” Goins said.